Rush hour crush
by Terfle
Summary: Girl meets girl on the London Underground via the rush hour crush column. On the road to Berena
1. Chapter 1

_She saw her again. Blonde, pink coat, face buried in the Metro. It was the coat she noticed first. It was cute. The woman didn't crack a smile._

 _Next time she saw her, she had eschewed the newspaper for a green book. Serena tried to tilt her head to see what it was but she just got a crick. Also she looked really stupid._

 _The woman looked up and stared at her. They both looked away._

* * *

 **Leopard print. She wasn't so keen on leopard print. The scarf was bold as brass. She wasn't looking though. She didn't plan on looking at another woman for a long time. She was looking at her book.**

 **Next time it was something terribly stripy. She didn't mind it. She wasn't looking though.**


	2. Chapter 2

_She wasn't trying to catch her eye, it just happened. She got a smile this time. It was a shy smile. Serena found it terribly endearing._

 _She always sat in the same seat. Always one of the foldups on the side. Never in a comfortable seat in the middle. She could see why though. The woman tended to bolt off the train like hounds were chasing her._

* * *

 **Bernie liked the foldup seats. Kept her alert and she could vacate quickly whenever she felt the atmosphere in the train carriage was closing in on her.**

 **She snuck a look around but the woman was nowhere to be seen. She thought she might have seen her in another carriage. She went back to her book. She was a slow reader.**


	3. Chapter 3

_Opening the Metro, she read the Rush Hour Crush as she usually did, hoping to see one of these people on her line. She was sure she'd seen the ginger guy in Nikes before. That was last week's crush. She wasn't very good at spotting them usually._

 _She flicked through with interest and stopped at one in particular._

' _ **To the leopard print lady, if you want to know what book I'm reading, just ask.'**_

 _Serena blinked in confusion. Did that mean her? Surely there were other women who wore leopard print on the Tube? It didn't specify which line. It could be any line. Her heart beat faster at the thought it might be her. She felt stupid and elated at the same time. Was it her? With the book? She didn't recognise the cover. She was sitting almost opposite her and hadn't reacted._

* * *

 **She cracked. Weeks of glancing at the woman with the playful eyes and she finally wrote that ridiculous entry. Her own reciprocation had become a little more flirtatious, her smile a little more lingering. The other woman hadn't shied away from it. Bernie started reading the Metro again to see if her entry had been featured, scanned the carriage and finally saw her again. Red coat this time. She'd been wearing that lately. She looked like a robin. Bernie had a fondness for robins.**

 **She had seen it. She stopped on the page and looked frightened. Bernie cursed herself for coming on too strong. She probably had a husband. She bolted for the doors as soon as they opened.**


	4. Chapter 4

_Another day, another vomiting patient to deal with. Serena dealt with it as efficiently as she always did but her mind was somewhere else. She had seen the woman several times since and she'd smiled at her again. Serena was sure that that message was meant for her. While going through the motions, she thought about what to send in a message herself. It was easy enough, you just submitted it online. So she did._

* * *

 **She'd finally written back. Bernie was beginning to give up hope. Waiting for her one day in the column was her very own message.**

' **M** _ **ysterious pink coat, shall we meet over coffee for a book club of two?'**_

 **The owner of the pink coat blinked, read it several times over, heart beating so fast it might burst out of her chest. She tried to keep calm but nervous excitement bubbled up when she thought about it. She needed to think of another message. It seemed very public to suggest a meeting place in a newspaper but she had to put aside her reservations and just do it if she wanted to talk to her again.**


	5. Chapter 5

_She'd seen it. The mysterious lady had seen it and Serena hoped she would continue it. This rush hour crush was fun. She hoped the next message was just as direct. She forced herself to put it aside and concentrate on her work. Today was important. The new co-lead of AAU was starting today and although she'd protested most vehemently, she had no choice but to comply with orders. She would try to be gracious and not at all resentful of sharing control of her professional space. She exited the office apprehensively and saw the cavalry right ahead. Here comes Major Wolfe, trauma surgeon, she thought._

' _Serena, I want you to meet the person you'll be working with for a long time to come. I hope you will get on cohesively.'_

' _Serena Campbell' she said, extending her hand with a smile to her new co-lead and stopped right there. Her heart dropped and by the look on the other woman's face, she felt the same._

* * *

 **It had taken all her courage to think up a new message and she hadn't posted it yet. But no need because apparently there was the woman right in front of her. Damn. Her heartbeat ratcheted up several notches and she had to breathe deeply to ease the dizziness.**

 **After slight awkward silence she pulled herself together, shook her hand and introduced herself as Major Berenice Wolfe. What else could she do?**

 **Nobody seemed to notice the change in mood. Serena took charge and suggested they spend some of the day showing her the ropes, getting to grips with the paperwork and protocol but first, coffee.**

' **Leave her to me, I'll show her around' she said with that roguish smile and a slight wink. Bernie wished it was aimed in her direction. She hoped she hadn't been too obvious but she'd been staring at her for most of the time. Serena barely looked at her until they started walking to Pulses, Holby's knockoff Starbucks. They sat down with strong hot coffee and waited.**

' **Aren't you going to show me the ward?' Asked Bernie hesitantly.**

 **Serena leaned forward and said 'I asked you out on a coffee date. So here we are.'**

 **Bernie couldn't argue with that.**


	6. Chapter 6

_She had so many things to ask but words had deserted her. Seconds crept on and they still did nothing but look at each other. Major Wolfe's eyes were dark and brooding, a shutter that kept out the outside world._

' _This is a terrible book club' Serena ended up saying._

 _The other woman's face lit up in amusement and she felt elated, as if she'd said something witty. She was only trying to fill the silence. Somehow Major Wolfe thought it was acceptable. She was hoping the next line that came out of her idiot mouth would earn another glorious crooked smile in her direction._

' _Well, are you going to show me what you're reading?'_

* * *

 **Serena Campbell was someone who took risks, she could tell. They had barely said a word to each other and she was demanding to see her book. But she had proposed a date and Bernie would have told her things about herself that she wouldn't tell most people. She had that kind of persuasive charm. Her dark eyes were sparkling; a dangerous place, easy to drown in, difficult to extradite yourself from. Bernie opened her bag and took out the book, bound in its plain moss green cover.**

 **Serena gently took it from her and checked the index. She recognised it straight away, with a smile of delight. Bernie hoped it was a favourite of hers. She delicately peeked under the cover to reveal underneath.**

' **Why did you cover it?'**

' **Because I wanted to read it in peace.'**

' **Why this one?'**

' **I'd never got the chance to read it. Not when I was a kids and not to my own kids. So at the grand old age of 51, I decided to start.' She shrugged, feeling awkward. What must this much more sophisticated woman think of her? She'd been dying to get her hands on this mysterious book, expecting it to be a classic or a work of philosophy and instead she got…this.**

 **Serena's warm chuckle made her feel less stupid about it.**

' **Never too late to start reading.'**

 **Bernie knew there was a reason she picked out this woman.**


	7. Chapter 7

_She preferred to call herself Bernie, she had kids too, they were the same age. Surely it was more appropriate to treat her as a colleague? But she couldn't help leaving her hand just a whisper's breadth away from Bernie's, hoping she'd…oh she did. Trail her finger up and down Serena's hand so gently she could feel her touch fleetingly searing through her skin. There was nothing more to say really. She thought the other woman's choice of book was charming._

* * *

 **Bernie had shocked herself by being so open about touching another woman in public but…they were on a date. She hadn't touched anyone in a long time and she missed it. Serena's hand was so close to her on the table and it barely took a muscle to move a finger over and stroke her skin. The radiant smile she got from the other woman was so worth any reprisal right now. Who knew that a humble children's story about a bear who loved honey could capture the affection of a stranger on the train?**

NB: You might have guessed the book by the last line but it is the stories of Winnie-the-Pooh by AA Milne. Sometimes you need to get back to basics to remind you of the good things in life.


End file.
